CBASS Summer School visits

As part of its ongoing efforts to increase the number of students spending time abroad during their time at Brunel, the College of Business, Arts and Social Sciences ran two international Summer Schools in July and August 2017. The first international visit was to the Dalian University of Foreign Languages in China and the second was to Amity University in India. Places on the two-week Summer Schools were allocated on the basis of merit and all the participants received scholarships to cover the cost of their tuition and accommodation.

Students who opted to travel to Dalian University of Foreign Languages enrolled on an introductory Mandarin programme, whilst students who chose Amity University as their destination took part in a cultural immersion programme that provided them with an opportunity to learn about the history, religion, politics, and economy of India. Students in both groups also participated in industry visits that gave them the opportunity to observe at first hand business practices in two of the most dynamic economies in the world. The buddy systems that the host institutions put in place to support the Brunel Summer Schools meant that our students had lots of opportunities for interaction with their local counterparts.

The College of Business, Arts and Social Sciences will be hosting two international Summer School visits in the summer of 2018. There will be more information on how to apply for this opportunity soon.

Read the student blogs from previous trips

CBASS Summer School visit to China, summer 2016

In July 2016, students from the College of Business, Arts and Social Sciences (CBASS) set off to China to take part in a Summer School at Dalian University of Foreign Languages.

Each of the participants received a Santander Mobility Scholarship from the University to cover the cost of their tuition and accommodation. During their two weeks in China, they had daily Mandarin lessons and took part in a wide range of cultural activities. 'The Summer School was a huge success and a great advert for the benefits of outward mobility,' says Dr Sean Holmes, Vice Dean International (CBASS) who set up the initiative. 'The students had a fantastic time and made a really positive impression on their hosts.'

The students set up a blog - CBASS Summer School: DUFL, China 2016 - in which they described their experiences of meeting other students from all over the world, exploring the sights of the seaside city of Dalian, shopping in an extraordinary underground mall, visiting local employers, playing with children at a kindergarten, and using emojis to order meals in restaurants.

One student writes: "The two weeks I spent in Dalian were incredible and I would definitely recommend the experience to others. I would also love to do it all again."

She adds: "One of the things I wanted to get out of it was new relationships, more of an understanding of Chinese culture and a bit of Chinese languages. I have also learnt that my negotiation skills are pretty darn good!"

Now that they're back at Brunel, the students will take on ambassadorial duties to encourage other students to take advantage of other opportunities for outward mobility.

Click here for a video created by the Dalian host students capturing some of the highlights.